Review/analysis of WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE

Below is an essay I composed for a Film As Art class last semester. We, the students, had the option of choosing any film and I picked what is not only my favorite horror film, but also one of my favorite films of all time: Wes Craven's New Nightmare. The review was well-received by my professor and as was the film. He named it not only his favorite Wes Craven film, but also his favorite film reviewed. Enjoy!

 When filmmakers create a film, they anticipate that it will be successful and leave its mark. Sometimes, this mark reaches farther than they’d have ever expected, extending over multiple generations and completely engulfing audiences to life-altering levels. It is rare to find someone who could be flashed a tattered, dirty red and green sweater without them recognizing that it belongs to Freddy Krueger. He is bound to our culture, bonded to its very heart and soul in ways that stretch to vast, immeasurable lengths. The following of his films is so strong, so influential that it’s almost overpowering, leaving everyone to wonder what’ has been created and what influence it has on the world. Wes Craven brilliantly explores these very ideas through his film, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, a meta-film examining the impact of the films, looking upon them as a living creature who haunts those who originally had a hand in the birth of the infamous and overwhelming phenomenon that is A Nightmare on Elm Street.  

       Ten years after the nightmares first began on Elm Street, the film’s original heroine, Heather Langenkamp, is now living an average life in California with her husband and special effects artist, Chase, and their son, Dylan. Despite choosing to remain faithful to her duties at home and away from the world of macabre, Heather seems unable to shake the world of horror in which she has become a prevalent figure. She is harassed by a man claiming to be “Freddy Krueger”; calling her house at odd hours and threatening her safety. On top of her terrifying stalker, Heather is offered a starring role in a new Nightmare film that resurrects her old foe. As Heather finds herself surrounded by horrors from her past, Dylan begins acting strange, almost as if possessed. Soon Chase passes and Heather suspects there is something sinister at work. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that an ancient evil force is trying to break free from his chains and make her worst nightmares a reality. Heather must choose whether or not she is willing to put on her pajamas one last time and face what she has been avoiding for so long in order to save her son and humanity. 

       The film does not forget the 1984 classic from which it spawned, often paying tribute to it with many cleverly placed homages. These homages are not only nostalgic moments for audiences, but they also tie in nicely to how the “real Freddy” looks upon Heather as “Nancy”, recreating these events to reinforce his relationship with her and goad her into playing along. The opening sequence is also an influential homage. This scene shows the audience that they are about to view a piece that reminds them of the film they known and love, but also has a modern flare and is set in “reality” as opposed to the same Nightmare universe from the previous films. Interestingly enough, the film never has an opening title sequence. Wes hoped to trick the audience into questioning whether or not what they were viewing was fact or fiction, especially because it featured the stars and crew who made the first movie possible as themselves. One of Wes’s many brilliant moves when making the film was his desire for it to feel like a documentary. Not only does the lack of the traditional title sequence throw off the audience, but many of the technical aspects in the film have a natural element to them. While the film has fairly steady camera placing, the shots often closely follow a character’s actions, zooming in and moving with their changes in body position rather than standing still. The camera movements are also somewhat off balance and shaky at times, influencing the audience to mentally place themselves in the scene as though they were really there. Despite his dedication to keeping the appearance of reality front and center, Craven enjoys paying homage to some of the horror greats. One shot in particular occurs when Heather spots the police at her door after awakening from her horrific dream about Chase’s death. She realizes at this moment that her dream was not only a dream, but also revealed what has just happened to her husband. To covey the feeling of a horrific realization, Craven utilizes Alfred Hitchcock’s famous “Vertigo effect”, of a dolly in, zoom out. Craven also selects several natural lighting choices to create the tone of certain scenes, in a way that continually reinforces the idea that this is not a movie, but rather a reality. For example, after chasing Dylan across the freeway, Heather discusses with John Saxon how her husband really died; instead of highlighting her eyes with artificial lighting that might seem out of place, Wes uses the moonlight and the leaves shining through her patio doors to illuminate Heather’s face in a way that focuses on certain features while maintaining the dark and spooky tone the movie takes on at that point.  

       Horror film scores are often a spoiler for the scares; in this film, while the score has those moments, it pushes the limit of horror by not only encompassing the loud moments that heighten the audience’s sense of fear, but also adds tension and even tenderness at times. It is a diverse score that takes the audience through the ups, downs, and sharp bends within the film itself. The film’s scenery mainly consists of an every day environment, until the movie takes a turn for Freddy’s lair. Being an ancient being, his lair oozes remnants of the old world, from paintings on the walls, to the seven deadly sins over the fire pits, pillars, vases, and the like. The lair represents Freddy’s iconic boiler room, but in a way that parallels his change in nature and character from the Freddy of the films.

  One of the most symbolic and intriguing moments of the film is Heather’s interview scene which points out the Nightmare phenomenon, sets up the introduction of the “real Freddy“, and symbolizes Heather’s relationship with the series. Although it is early in the film, it is already known that Heather feels uncomfortable revisiting her past experience with the Elm Street films, which is not picked up by the enthusiastic host, who is itching for more answers. Much to Heather’s dismay, she’s surrounded by Elm Street. The effects of the series are visible in the show’s audience: a crowd filled with individuals of all ages dressed in Freddy gear, holding Freddy signs. When the host introduces Robert and he emerges, he’s the goofy Freddy that he evolved into during the later films. This silly “film Freddy” contrasts against the later, darker “real Freddy” in the film to emphasize the entity torturing Heather is not the same Krueger. It is not until Robert stands in front of Heather, with the spotlight upon him, and his shadow is cast over Heather as he shouts “You are all my children now”, that he transforms into a dark figure claiming ownership over the souls of the fans. The shadow cast back on Heather not only symbolizes that her heroine, Nancy, is living in Freddy’s shadow, but also that the darkness of real evil is looming over her life, preparing to strike. 

          Wes Craven’s New Nightmare received rave reviews from critics, but not such great box office results. Often criticized by fans for not being “scary enough” or for not having a sufficient amount of gore, the film receives mixed opinions from the fan base itself. Personally, it is not only my favorite Nightmare film, but also one of my favorite all-time films for its endless list of brilliant storytelling elements put into the film. It is an underappreciated film that brings into light the affect films can have on our lives, particularly on those closest to us, and the innocent wisdom and instinct that exists within children. As Wes has mentioned, although horror is often criticized, if we refuse to make “art” about it, we will only lose more of our sanity because we choose to ignore those primal parts of life. Wes understands the significance of sending messages to the world through movie-making. Through horror, he warns us about some of the things we overlook or deny exist. However, thankfully for us, these tales of boogeymen and the ancient demonic forces embodying them are only fictional; at least, for now.